Patents Examined by Nathaniel R Pelton
  • Patent number: 11658500
    Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes: a power supply able to discharge power to a load for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generation source; and a charger including an information input part, and configured to be able to supply one of a first charging voltage and a second charging voltage lower than the first charging voltage to the power supply, based on an input value which is input from the information input part. A fixed value which is predetermined as one input value can be input to the information input part, and the fixed value is a value for supplying the second charging voltage to the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshi Akao
  • Patent number: 11658349
    Abstract: An energy system includes an energy storage device and a link device. The energy storage device includes a housing and a battery disposed within the housing. The battery has a first chemistry. The link device is configured to facilitate electrically coupling the energy storage device to an external battery having a second chemistry different than the first chemistry, receive input power from the external battery, and regulate a power profile of the input power received from the external battery such that the energy storage device can accept the input power from the external battery. The energy storage device is configured to receive the input power from the external battery having the second chemistry through the link device and provide output power to a load using the input power received from the external battery having the second chemistry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: GOAL ZERO LLC.
    Inventors: Keyvan Vasefi, Robert Kerback, Sterling Robison, Evan Price
  • Patent number: 11648841
    Abstract: A charging cable including a charging line detachably electrically connected at one end using a connection apparatus to an energy storage device to be charged and electrically connected at the other end to an adapter interface detachably connected in a form fit to an adapter. The adapter is detachably electrically connected to an energy supply device in order to transmit, via the charging cable, electrical energy from the energy supply device to the energy storage device to be charged. To obtain a particularly compact and robust charging cable, the adapter interface includes a communication device enabling a wireless communication with the adapter when the adapter is connected to the adapter interface, so that control signals between the energy supply device and an electronics system of the charging cable and/or of an energy storage device connected to the charging cable can be transmitted wirelessly between the adapter and the adapter interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Inventor: Dietmar Niederl
  • Patent number: 11652355
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery jump starting device with a dual battery diode bridge system. The dual battery diode bridge, for example, is configured to protect against a back-charge to a first 12V battery and/or a second 12V battery after a vehicle has been jump charged to prevent damage thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: The NOCO Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Lewis Nook, William Knight Nook, Sr., James Richard Stanfield, Derek Michael Underhill
  • Patent number: 11646591
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for a displaying a user interface including a visual indication that an electronic device is in a protective charging mode. While the electronic device is in a charging configuration with respect to an external power source, an energy-storage component of the electronic device is charged with power supplied by the external power source. After charging the energy-storage component, a user interface is displayed. When charging of the energy-storage component is stopped before reaching a full charge level, the user interface includes a visual indication that the electronic device is in a protective charging mode in which charging of the energy-storage component is delayed based on predetermined criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vitalii Kramar, Patrick L. Coffman, Caelan G. Stack
  • Patent number: 11646590
    Abstract: An electrical device, such as a power tool, includes a first battery pack receptacle configured to receive a first battery pack and a second battery pack receptacle configured to receive a second battery pack. The second battery pack is electrically connected in a series-type configuration with the first battery pack. The electrical device also includes circuitry with an electronic processor. The circuitry is configured to alter a first signal output from the electronic processor to at least one selected from a group consisting of the first battery pack and the second battery pack, and to alter a second signal received by the electronic processor from at least one selected from the group consisting of the first battery pack and the second battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Ota, Kiyoshi Nishibe, Hitoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11641122
    Abstract: A pulse charging for a battery includes multi-stage voltage conversion. At first stage, an input voltage from a power supply is divided into a plurality of intermediate voltages. At second stage, one or more of the plurality of intermediate voltage are further down converted to generate one or more portions of a charging pulse to be applied to the battery. The down conversion of the input voltage to the output voltage is accompanied by increase in charging current that is applied to the battery. The higher charging current applied to the battery results in fast charging of the battery. Also, the described multi-stage voltage conversion circuitry has high efficiency which alleviates problem of heat dissipation associated with the voltage conversion for charging of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Gbatteries Energy Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Oleksandr Tkachenko, Mykola Sherstyuk, Aleksandar Prodic, Timothy McRae, Ivan Radovic, Oleksandr Puzakov
  • Patent number: 11641118
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology may provide methods and apparatus for a battery system. The apparatus may provide a fuel gauge circuit that operates in conjunction with a protection circuit to control discharging and/or current leakage at exposed terminals of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Hideo Kondo
  • Patent number: 11634044
    Abstract: A charger plug release system for use with an electric vehicle is provided. The charger plug release system provides a preloaded outward force to the electric charging plug when the plug is electrically connected to a charging receptacle on the EV. When charging is completed, the plug may be released (e.g., via a mobile “app”), and the outward force applied by the system to the plug causes the plug to be ejected without manual intervention. Accordingly, the release system eliminates the need for the user to manually pull the plug from the EV charging receptacle, and instead, forcefully ejects the plug from the EV automatically. This allows the user to automatically remove the plug from the EV from within the vehicle or from another safe location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Inventor: Herbert L. Johnson, III
  • Patent number: 11621572
    Abstract: A method of operating an electric power system, which may include: determining a charge state of a first battery unit and a charge state of a second battery unit; determining a difference between the charge state of the first battery unit and the charge state of the second battery unit; and determining whether to enable discharging simultaneously of both the first battery unit and the second battery unit, or to enable discharging of one of the first and second battery units, based on the difference between the charge state of the first battery unit and the charge state of the second battery unit. At least one of the first and second battery units may be a swappable battery unit. The disclosure further relates to an electric power system and to a computer executable code including instructions for operating an electric power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: GRABTAXI HOLDINGS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Xihu Wu, Lei Jiang, Pengfei Yu, Yi Zheng, He Zhang
  • Patent number: 11621444
    Abstract: A vehicle battery charger and a vehicle battery charging system are described and illustrated, and can include a controller enabling a user to enter a time of day at which the vehicle battery charger or system begins and/or ends charging of the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery charger can be separate from the vehicle, can be at least partially integrated into the vehicle, can include a transmitter and/or a receiver capable of communication with a controller that is remote from the vehicle and vehicle charger, and can be controlled by a user or another party (e.g., a power utility) to control battery charging based upon a time of day, cost of power, or other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher B. Austin
  • Patent number: 11621442
    Abstract: A vehicle battery charger and a vehicle battery charging system are described and illustrated, and can include a controller enabling a user to enter a time of day at which the vehicle battery charger or system begins and/or ends charging of the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery charger can be separate from the vehicle, can be at least partially integrated into the vehicle, can include a transmitter and/or a receiver capable of communication with a controller that is remote from the vehicle and vehicle charger, and can be controlled by a user or another party (e.g., a power utility) to control battery charging based upon a time of day, cost of power, or other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher B. Austin
  • Patent number: 11600867
    Abstract: A vehicle battery charger and a vehicle battery charging system are described and illustrated, and can include a controller enabling a user to enter a time of day at which the vehicle battery charger or system begins and/or ends charging of the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery charger can be separate from the vehicle, can be at least partially integrated into the vehicle, can include a transmitter and/or a receiver capable of communication with a controller that is remote from the vehicle and vehicle charger, and can be controlled by a user or another party (e.g., a power utility) to control battery charging based upon a time of day, cost of power, or other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher B. Austin
  • Patent number: 11601009
    Abstract: Sheath having a left side, a right side and a top side, a first closed end, a second open end and a surrounding bottom portion, a body having an inner surface, an outer surface and a first port between the inner surface and the outer surface, a portion of the sheath extends above the outer surface of the body, the sheath receives a female end of a cable connector having surrounding sides, an operative end, a cord end and a cord, the operative end of the female end of the cable connector is retained in the second open end of the sheath and the cord end of the female end of the cable connector is retained in the first closed end to provide the female end of the cable connector in a flat position with the operative end of the female connector being uncovered above the body outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Li Zhijian
  • Patent number: 11594768
    Abstract: A vehicle battery charger and a vehicle battery charging system are described and illustrated, and can include a controller enabling a user to enter a time of day at which the vehicle battery charger or system begins and/or ends charging of the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery charger can be separate from the vehicle, can be at least partially integrated into the vehicle, can include a transmitter and/or a receiver capable of communication with a controller that is remote from the vehicle and vehicle charger, and can be controlled by a user or another party (e.g., a power utility) to control battery charging based upon a time of day, cost of power, or other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher B. Austin
  • Patent number: 11594906
    Abstract: The present application relates to a battery charging method and charging system which can prevent degradation of a battery and enhance the lifetime characteristics thereof. In one aspect, the charging method includes charging a battery at a first C-rate higher than a reference C-rate, wherein the C-rate represents charge or discharge current/a rated capacity of the battery. The charging method also includes charging the battery at a second C-rate lower than the reference C-rate. The charging of the battery at the first C-rate includes at least one rest period for temporarily stopping the charging of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Rak Kim, Jung Gun Park, Jung Pil Park
  • Patent number: 11594898
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for preventing overcharge of a secondary battery that prevents the overcharge of a Starting Lighting Ignition (SLI) battery, which can be applied to both a regulated system with a voltage regulator and an unregulated system without a voltage regulator, by regulating the voltage applied to the cell assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-Hyun Nam, Jeong-Wook Kim, Wong-Ki Yoon, Suk-Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 11594767
    Abstract: A vehicle battery charger and a vehicle battery charging system are described and illustrated, and can include a controller enabling a user to enter a time of day at which the vehicle battery charger or system begins and/or ends charging of the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery charger can be separate from the vehicle, can be at least partially integrated into the vehicle, can include a transmitter and/or a receiver capable of communication with a controller that is remote from the vehicle and vehicle charger, and can be controlled by a user or another party (e.g., a power utility) to control battery charging based upon a time of day, cost of power, or other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher B. Austin
  • Patent number: 11594769
    Abstract: A vehicle battery charger and a vehicle battery charging system are described and illustrated, and can include a controller enabling a user to enter a time of day at which the vehicle battery charger or system begins and/or ends charging of the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery charger can be separate from the vehicle, can be at least partially integrated into the vehicle, can include a transmitter and/or a receiver capable of communication with a controller that is remote from the vehicle and vehicle charger, and can be controlled by a user or another party (e.g., a power utility) to control battery charging based upon a time of day, cost of power, or other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Christopher B. Austin
  • Patent number: 11588343
    Abstract: A power storage device includes: a cell; and a controller that: causes the cell to discharge from a full charge capacity to a set capacity that is set in advance, and executes a full charge capacity correction mode including a remaining capacity calculation operation and capacity consumption calculation operation. In the remaining capacity calculation operation, the controller: acquires a first voltage of the cell at the set capacity in response to the cell discharging from the full charge capacity to the set capacity, and calculates an actual remaining capacity of the cell based on the first voltage and one of a plurality of correlations between a voltage of the cell and a cell capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaru Kawabe, Takashi Matsuda, Yukinari Sato